They're worried the reduction of traffic lanes will cause congestion and discourage potential customers.
Alan Rothschild stands in an island on East Genesee Street in front of his medical supplies store. Syracuse University is proposing to convert two lanes of traffic to one lane in the 800 and 900 blocks of East Genesee Street as part of the connective corridor project. Rothschild and some other merchants are concerned about the changes.
Syracuse, NY - Some business owners along East Genesee Street are trying to fight proposed street changes for the Syracuse Connective Corridor.
“They’re going to ruin the street,” said Gabi Ashkar, who helps run his brother’s business, Samir’s Imported Foods, at 811 E. Genesee St.
Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse plan to begin reconstruction of East Genesee Street next year as part of the corridor project linking SU and downtown. Plans call for reducing the 800 and 900 blocks from two lanes in each direction to one. The project includes bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, landscaped medians, lighting and sidewalks. The $4.2 million reconstruction is funded by federal and state money.
Samir’s is one of 12 businesses whose owners signed a petition opposing the plan for East Genesee Street. Three of those businesses bear the name of the plan’s most vocal opponent, Alan Rothschild.
Rothschild, whose family has owned property on East Genesee Street since the late 1920s, serves as president of the East Genesee Regents Association. He submitted the petition to the Syracuse Common Council, which is scheduled to discuss the Connective Corridor plans at a committee meeting at noon Friday.
“They’re trying to ramrod this through,” Rothschild said of corridor leaders.
Despite Rothschild’s objections, the East Genesee Regents Association Wednesday unanimously approved the Connective Corridor street plan. Rothschild said he abstained because he believed the vote was orchestrated and improper. He was one of two business owners from the 800 and 900 blocks present at the meeting, Rothschild said. A visit and appeal for support from Mayor Stephanie Miner, accompanied by Common Council President Van Robinson and Councilor Thomas Seals, preceded the unscheduled vote, Rothschild said.
Rothschild and Ashkar said they’re particularly worried the reduction of traffic lanes will cause congestion and discourage potential customers from traveling East Genesee Street.
City planner Steve Kearney said a traffic study showed congestion won’t be a problem.
Tim Carroll, city director of mayoral initiatives, said plans were adjusted several times to meet the needs of businesses.
Planned full-length medians were changed to smaller medians only at intersections, turning lanes were added to ease traffic flow, and bike paths were relocated from between businesses and street parking to between street parking and vehicle traffic, Carroll said.
The petition notes other concerns, among them: backups when cars are waiting to turn into businesses or park; escalation of existing problems with Carrier Dome traffic; and delays for emergency vehicles.
Kearney said the final preliminary design will be presented to the public at a meeting tentatively scheduled for June. The Common Council may vote on the design plan as early as Monday.
The project needs to advance quickly, Kearney said, so grant funds aren’t lost. Leaders hope to have street work underway in 2011 and completed in 2012.
Andy Nye, co-owner of Syracuse Blue Print Co. at 825 E. Genesee St., joined in the regents association unanimous vote in favor of the revised plan although he signed the petition opposing it.
Nye said he’s worried about the reduction of traffic lanes, but voted for the plan because he generally supports the corridor project. “In a perfect world you’d like things to be a certain way,” Nye said. “But they can’t always be exactly that way.”
Meghan Rubado can be reached at mrubado@syracuse.com or 470-3260.